STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Transcription

1 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA University of North Carolina Talent Management Software System Request for Proposal #: 68-SOTMSS0518 Date of Issue: May 11, 2018 Proposal Opening Date: June 18, 2018 At noon ET Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to: Bob Myers Purchasing and Contract Analyst

2 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA Request for Proposal # 68-SOTMSS0518 For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of proposals in the Interactive Purchasing System (IPS), please provide your company s Federal Employer Identification Number or alternate identification number (e.g. Social Security Number). Pursuant to G.S (b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection. This page is to be filled out and returned with your proposal. Failure to do so may subject your proposal to rejection. ID Number: Federal ID Number or Social Security Number Vendor Name

3 Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to: Bob Myers Purchasing and Contract Analyst 140 Friday Center Drive Chapel Hill, NC EXECUTION In compliance with this Request for Proposals, and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein. By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor certifies that this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S ), that none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S ), and that it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S False certification is a Class I felony. Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor s knowledge and belief, that it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency. As required by G.S , the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system. G.S and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public Contract; or awarding or administering public Contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public Contract of any gift from anyone with a Contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for your entire organization and its employees or agents, that you are not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization. Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal shall render proposal invalid and it WILL BE REJECTED. Late proposals cannot be accepted. VENDOR: STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA University of North Carolina Request for Proposal # 68-SOTMSS0518 Proposals will be publicly opened: June 18, 2018, at noon Contract Type: Commodity No. and Description: ; Personnel Software Using Agency: University of North Carolina Requisition No.: STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP: CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO: PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #10): PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR: FAX NUMBER: VENDOR S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: Offer valid for at least 120 days from date of proposal opening, unless otherwise stated here: days. After this time, any withdrawal of offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFP. ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL If any or all parts of this proposal are accepted by the State of North Carolina, an authorized representative of the University of North Carolina shall affix his/her signature hereto and this document and all provisions of this Request For Proposal along with the Vendor proposal response and the written results of any negotiations shall then constitute the written agreement between the parties. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the successful Vendor(s). FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accept and Contract awarded this day of, 20, as indicated on the attached certification, by (Authorized Representative of University of North Carolina) Ver: 10/04/17 Page 2 of 78

4 Table of Contents 1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND GENERAL INFORMATION REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS RFP SCHEDULE SITE VISIT or PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE PROPOSAL QUESTIONS PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL PROPOSAL CONTENTS ALTERNATE PROPOSALS DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS METHOD OF AWARD CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS EVALUATION CRITERIA PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES REQUIREMENTS IRAN DIVESTMENT ACT CONTRACT TERM PRICING INVOICES PAYMENT TERMS FINANCIAL STABILITY VENDOR EXPERIENCE REFERENCES BACKGROUND CHECKS PERSONNEL VENDOR S REPRESENTATIONS SCOPE OF WORK GENERAL Ver: 10/04/17 Page 3 of 78

5 5.2 OBJECTIVES PROJECT ORGANIZATION TECHNICAL APPROACH TRANSITION ASSISTANCE CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION PROJECT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE DISPUTE RESOLUTION CONTRACT CHANGES ATTACHMENT A: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ATTACHMENT B: NORTH CAROLINA TERMS & CONDITIONS ATTACHMENT C: PRICING ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION Ver: 10/04/17 Page 4 of 78

6 1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND About UNC The University of North Carolina (UNC) has a rich heritage of academic excellence. Chartered in 1789, UNC was the first public university in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century. Today, UNC is a multi-campus university composed of all 16 of North Carolina's public institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees, as well as the NC School of Science and Mathematics, the nation's first public residential high school for gifted students. The University of North Carolina is a public, multi-campus university dedicated to the service of North Carolina and its people. It encompasses the 16 diverse constituent institutions and other educational, research, and public service organizations. Each institution shares in the overall mission of the UNC University System. That mission is to discover, create, transmit, and apply knowledge to address the needs of individuals and society. This mission is accomplished through instruction, which communicates the knowledge and values and imparts the skills necessary for individuals to lead responsible, productive, and personally satisfying lives; through research, scholarship, and creative activities, which advance knowledge and enhance the educational process; and through public service, which contributes to the solution of societal problems and enriches the quality of life in the State. In the fulfillment of this mission, the University shall seek an efficient use of available resources to ensure the highest quality in its service to the citizens of the State. Teaching and learning constitute the primary service that the University renders to society. Teaching, or instruction, is the primary responsibility of each of the constituent institutions. The relative importance of research and public service, which enhance teaching and learning, varies among the constituent institutions, depending on their overall missions. Employee Populations The UNC System has approximately 47,000 active employees. The scope of this RFP targets all employees across the UNC system. Data as of December 2017 Employee Type UNC Constituent Institution COS CSS EHRA EHRA Non- SHRA Total Faculty Faculty Appalachian State University 1, ,230 2,757 (ASU) Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) East Carolina University (ECU) 926 1, ,204 5,642 Fayetteville State University (FSU) North Carolina A&T State ,649 University (NCA&T) North Carolina Central University ,238 (NCCU) North Carolina State University 204 1,955 2,404 4,078 8,641 (NCSU) UNC Asheville (UNCA) UNC Charlotte (UNCC) 1, ,538 UNC-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) 3,877 2,250 6,519 12,646 UNC Greensboro (UNCG) ,145 2,619 UNC System Office UNC Pembroke (UNCP) UNC School of the Arts (UNCSA) UNC Wilmington (UNCW) ,003 2,004 Western Carolina University (WCU) Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) , Ver: 10/04/17 Page 5 of 78

7 Total ,932 9,473 22,231 46,766 Objectives The current Talent Management system capabilities are not meeting the needs of the University of North Carolina (UNC) and its constituent institutions. UNC is seeking to replace its current talent management systems across all 17 of its constituent institutions in order to streamline processes and functionality and provide standardization across the system. With a new system, UNC is seeking technology that will address the following institutional imperatives: Facilitate the ability for the University System and its constituent institutions to have best-in-class Talent Management Systems in order to improve and optimize its recruiting, onboarding, performance, learning and offboarding processes; Provide for integration with existing enterprise HR systems and data storage systems used by the University and its constituent institutions which will enable it to better access critical data required for efficiently managing talent management; Improve the ability to attract, motivate, develop and retain engaged employees who will be productive in working to assist UNC in reaching its strategic objectives and operational goals; and Develop, using best-of-breed technology, a more holistic approach to talent management across the University system in order to maximize operational efficiencies and processes. Programs in Scope The University of North Carolina System seeks proposals for a Talent Management System to support its staff, employees, and other constituents in various functional areas, including: Area Recruiting / Applicant Tracking (ATS) Onboarding Position Management Performance Management Attribute Requisition Management Develop and maintain job descriptions Manage employee referral program Job posting (internal and external) Scheduling (interviews, other assessments) Assessments (screening, background checking) Applicant tracking Candidate contact management Offer letter preparation and management Regulatory compliance and reporting Vendor management (Agencies, MSP, Advertising, Job Boards/Aggregators, other) New hire processing Orientation preparation (scheduling, materials) and delivery Regulatory compliance and reporting Track Positions Job/Position Changes Talent Profiles Vendor management (curriculum development, instructors, facilities, other) Goal setting and management Annual performance review process Dashboard for employees and managers Ver: 10/04/17 Page 6 of 78

8 Learning Management Leadership Development / Succession Planning Offboarding HR Systems and Data Management HR Reports and Auditing Support Out-of-Scope Areas that are out of scope for this proposal include: HR Administration (Core HR) Compensation Payroll Benefits Administration Time and Attendance Absence Management Career and Development Planning Needs Assessment process Curriculum design Content compliance and management Curriculum development Curriculum delivery Training session administration (registration, wait list management, other) and logistics management Manage examinations and certifications Invoice/Billing management Leadership Career and Development Planning Succession Planning process Voluntary and involuntary termination (exit) administration Severance calculations and processing Separation agreement management Manage Retirement Regulatory compliance and reporting (DOL, Other) Release and/or upgrade management System configuration management Support end user report requests Manage mass data changes (including data loads) Interface design, support and maintenance Provide testing support (unit, system, integration, regression, parallel, and user acceptance) Vendor management (outsourcing providers, systems integrators, other) Requirements gathering and analysis Support data Extract / Transform / Load (ETL) Report distribution administration Standard report maintenance Support data and/or access requests for ad hoc reporting and analytics Audit support (data gathering, report generation, other) Current State The current talent management service delivery model is as follows: Talent Management activities are decentralized across the campuses and institutions The current Talent Management Software product utilized by most of the campuses is PeopleAdmin. It currently serves various functions across multiple institutions: o Recruiting/Applicant Tracking o Performance Management o Onboarding Ver: 10/04/17 Page 7 of 78

9 Core HR (workforce administration) systems include PeopleSoft and Ellucian (Banner) Current reporting capabilities from the various source systems are cumbersome and labor intensive The university system utilizes a data warehouse (HR Datamart) which captures and consolidates point-in-time employee data from campuses for reporting and analytics Overall system support is decentralized and has not met the needs of many of the campuses Future State Vision As part of the move to a new Talent Management System, UNC has a vision for a future state where the following objectives will be satisfied: For Employees: To be confident that UNC has empowered them to become self-sufficient using employee self-service tools To use the most direct route possible to solutions To be provided with the right information at the right time For the Institutions: A strong scalable Talent Management solution To be confident that the new Talent Management system will contribute to the optimization of institutional team productivity and satisfaction by partnering with a best in class organization To automate routine tasks to allow employees and managers to focus on more strategic initiatives directly contributing to UNC s continued success To receive continuous feedback on employee needs with thought leadership on concern resolutions To support UNC s future growth Best in class system support Accuracy and consistency of reporting, including UNC s ability to generate real-time ad hoc reports with appropriate security access (e.g., limit by role and/or location) Full integration with Core HR Systems The new system will automate and help users manage the employee experience (from hire to separation). The system will integrate with several existing UNC systems, including core HR systems (PeopleSoft and Ellucian (Banner)), among others. Further, the system will have a strong user experience, including ease of use for the all kinds of users (i.e., HR, IT, employees, faculty, etc.), clear dashboards and workflows (lack of clutter and confusion), and the ability to customize as needed (flexibility to change). UNC s objective is to identify software Vendor(s) to meet the requirements of talent management outlined in this request for proposal (RFP). Not all the UNC institutions may choose to participate in selecting new talent management software capabilities. Some campuses may choose to stay with the current state Talent Management system and/or adopt the new software selected later. The Vendor shall meet the requirements set forth by this RFP, which include technical requirements, functional requirements, implementation support requirements, and ongoing support requirements in the areas listed above. Vendors may contact Bob Myers via at rbmyers@northcarolina.edu to request the table listed in Section 5.1 in Word format and the table listed in Attachment C in Excel format. Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto. 2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT The RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award. All attachments and addenda released for this RFP in advance of any Contract award are incorporated herein by reference. Ver: 10/04/17 Page 8 of 78

10 2.2 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS It shall be the Vendor s responsibility to read the Instructions, the State s terms and conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors also are responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP. The Software as a Service Terms and Conditions listed in Attachment B shall govern any procurement of Software as a Service resulting from this RFP. The Software Terms and Conditions listed in Attachment B shall govern any procurement of Software resulting from this RFP. If Vendors have questions, issues, or exceptions regarding any term, condition, or other component within this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with in the instructions in Section 2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS. If the State determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. The State may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation and amendment of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question and answer period. Other than through this process, the State rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor s proposal. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor s proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor s proposal shall constitute a firm offer. By execution and delivery of this RFP Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded. Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor s proposal as nonresponsive. If a Vendor desires modification of the terms and conditions of this solicitation, it is urged to identify its objections or exceptions as noted below. Identification of objections or exceptions to the State s terms and conditions in the proposal itself shall not be allowed and shall be disregarded or the proposal rejected. A Vendor may, however, include a separate page along with its proposal, titled Request for Proposed Modifications to Terms and Conditions, and identify specific modifications that it requests the State to consider. The State will evaluate all proposals without regard to any proposed modifications. Once a proposal has been identified as the one for which an award recommendation has been made but prior to approval of the recommendation, the State, in its sole and absolute discretion, may consider any proposed modifications attached to that proposal. The University will not consider complete replacement of the State Terms and Conditions. Any modification(s) to the terms and condition agreed to by the State will be identified in the Certification of Award. Any ambiguity, vagueness, inconsistency or conflict, either internal to such modification(s) or arising when read in conjunction with other portions of the Contract, shall be construed strictly in favor of the State. Only those proposed modifications identified in the award certification shall be part of the Contract, and the State may ignore all proposed modifications, accept one or more and ignore others, accept all or, through negotiations after an award, agree to compromise language concerning one or more proposed modifications to be incorporated into a contract amendment. By executing and submitting its proposal in response to this RFP, Vendor understands and agrees that the State may exercise its discretion not to consider any and all proposed modifications Vendor(s) may request and may accept Vendor s proposal under the terms and conditions of this RFP. Contact with anyone working for or with the State regarding this RFP other than the State Contract Specialist named on the face page of this RFP in the manner specified by this RFP shall constitute grounds for rejection of said Vendor s offer, at the State s election. 2.3 RFP SCHEDULE The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule. Event Responsibility Date Issue RFP State May 11, 2018 Ver: 10/04/17 Page 9 of 78

11 Submit Written Questions Vendor May 25, 2018 at noon eastern time Provide Response to Questions State June 7, 2018 Submit Proposals Vendor June 18, 2018 at noon eastern time Vendor Finalists Selected State TBD Vendor Finalist Presentations Vendor TBD Contract Award State TBD Contract Effective Date State TBD 2.4 SITE VISIT or PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE There will be no site visit nor pre-proposal conference associated with this RFP. 2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the above due date. Written questions shall be submitted in writing to F46w/viewform?usp=sf_link by the date and time specified above. NO PHONE CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the State will be posted in the form of an addendum to the Interactive Purchasing System (IPS), and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any State personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFP. 2.6 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL Sealed proposals, subject to the conditions made a part hereof and the receipt requirements described below, shall be received at the address indicated in the table below, for furnishing and delivering those items or services as described herein. Mailing address for delivery of proposal via US Postal Service PROPOSAL NUMBER: 68-SOTMSS0518 Bob Myers Purchasing and Contract Analyst 140 Friday Center Drive Chapel Hill, NC Office Address of delivery by any other method (special delivery, overnight, or any other carrier) PROPOSAL NUMBER: 68-SOTMSS0518 Bob Myers Purchasing and Contract Analyst 140 Friday Center Drive Chapel Hill, NC IMPORTANT NOTE: All proposals shall be physically delivered to the office address listed above on or before the proposal deadline in order to be considered timely, regardless of the method of delivery. This is an absolute requirement. All risk of late arrival due to unanticipated delay whether delivered by hand, U.S. Postal Service, courier or other delivery service is entirely on the Vendor. It is the sole responsibility of the Vendor to have the proposal physically in this Office by the specified time and date of opening. The time of delivery will be marked on each proposal when received, and any proposal received after the proposal submission deadline will be rejected. Sealed proposals, subject Ver: 10/04/17 Page 10 of 78

12 to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received at the address indicated in the table in this Section, for furnishing and delivering the commodity as described herein. Note that the U.S. Postal Service generally does not deliver mail to specified street address but to the State s Mail Service Center. Vendors are cautioned that proposals sent via U.S. Mail, including Express Mail, may not be delivered by the Mail Service Center to the agency s purchasing office on the due date in time to meet the proposal deadline. All Vendors are urged to take the possibility of delay into account when submitting a proposal. Attempts to submit a proposal via facsimile (FAX) machine, telephone or electronic means, including but not limited to , in response to this RFP shall NOT be accepted. a) Submit one (1) signed, original executed proposal response in an un-redacted electronic format on CD, DVD or flash drive and, if required, one (1) redacted electronic (Proprietary and Confidential Information Excluded) copies on CD, DVD or flash drive of your proposal simultaneously to the address identified in the table above. b) Submit your proposal in a sealed package. Clearly mark each package with: (1) Vendor name; (2) the RFP number; and (3) the due date. Address the package(s) for delivery as shown in the table above. If Vendor is submitting more than one (1) proposal, each proposal shall be submitted in separate sealed envelopes and marked accordingly. For delivery purposes, separate sealed envelopes from a single Vendor may be included in the same outer package. Proposals are subject to rejection unless submitted with the information above included on the outside of the sealed proposal package. c) The electronic copies of your proposal must be provided on separate read-only CD s, DVD s or flash drives. The files on the discs shall NOT be password protected, shall be in.pdf or.xls format, and shall be capable of being copied to other media including readable in Microsoft Word and/or Microsoft Excel. Disc One must contain the entire Technical and Cost Proposal including any proprietary information and have the following label affixed to the disc: 1) Vendor name; (2) the RFP number; (3) the due date; and (4) the words Disc One - Technical and Cost Proposal Non-Redacted. Disc Two, if required for confidentiality, must contain the Technical and Cost Proposal excluding any proprietary information identified as confidential and proprietary in accordance with Attachment A, Paragraph 11 of the Instructions to Vendors. The University of North Carolina, in responding to public records requests, will release the information on this disc. It is the sole responsibility of the Vendor to ensure that this disc complies with the requirements of A, Paragraph 11 of the Instructions to Vendors. The following label must be affixed to the disc: (1) Vendor name; (2) the RFP number; (3) the due date; and (4) the words Disc Two Technical and Cost Proposal Redacted Copy. 2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized signature where requested. Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and those attachments should be arranged in the following order: a) Cover Letter b) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Proposal Number. c) Completed and signed version of EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP, and signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP (if required to be returned). d) ATTACHMENT A: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS e) ATTACHMENT B: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT C: PRICING g) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR h) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION i) Vendor s response to the RFP requirements listed in Section 4.0 of the RFP Ver: 10/04/17 Page 11 of 78

13 j) Vendor's references (Section 4.8 of the RFP) k) Vendor s response to the Scope of Work of the RFP (Sections 5.1 through 5.4 of the RFP) l) SEPARATE DOCUMENT (NOT INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSAL ITSELF): If necessary, a list of Vendor issues or proposed alternative language concerning State Terms and Conditions (see Section 2.2 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING TERMS AND CONDITIONS for additional information). 2.8 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS Vendor may submit alternate proposals for various methods or levels of service(s) or that propose different options. Alternate proposals must specifically identify the RFP requirements and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate proposal. Any alternate proposal, in addition to the marking described above, must be clearly marked with the legend: Alternate Proposal # [for name of Vendor ]. Each proposal must be for a specific set of services and must include specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various service offerings, each must be offered with a separate price and be contained in a separate proposal document. Each proposal must be complete and independent of other proposals offered. 2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS a) BAFO: Best and Final Offer, submitted by a Vendor to alter its initial offer, made in response to a request by the issuing agency. b) BUYER: The employee of the State or Other Eligible Entity that places an order with the Vendor. c) CONTRACT LEAD: Representative of the University of North Carolina who corresponds with potential Vendors in order to identify and contract with that Vendor providing the greatest benefit to the State and who will administer this contract for the State. d) COS: County Operation Support staff at NCSU e) CSS: Clinical Support Service employees at ECU f) E-PROCUREMENT SERVICES: The program, system, and associated services through which the State conducts electronic procurement. g) EHRA: Is the acronym that stands for Exempt from Human Resources Act and represents positions exempt from the State Human Resources Act and therefore the policies and procedures promulgated by the State Human Resources Commission that are applicable to most State agency employees. EHRA status was created to address the unique personnel needs of the University of North Carolina h) Faculty: Individuals who perform teaching, research, and/or clinical duties and are classified as members of the faculty under the University s Tenure regulations. i) FOB-DESTINATION: Title changes hand from Vendor to purchaser at the destination point of the shipment; Vendor owns commodity in transit and files any claims, and Vendor pays all freight and any related transportation charges. A solicitation may request Vendors to separately identify freight charges in their proposal, but no amount or charge not included as part of the total proposal price will be paid. j) INSTRUCTION, RESEARCH, AND PUBLIC SERVICE ( IRPS ): A category of non-faculty employees who support the instructional, research, and public service mission of University and are exempt from the State Human Resources Act (EHRA). k) JOB CATEGORY ( JCAT ): A classification scheme that assigns a standard code to each position that describes its functional purpose. l) LOT: A grouping of similar products within this RFP. m) ON-TIME DELIVERY: The delivery of all items within a single order to the receiving point designated by the ordering entity within the delivery time required. n) QUALIFIED PROPOSAL: A responsive proposal submitted by a responsible Vendor. o) RFP: Request for Proposal p) STATE: The State of North Carolina, including any of its sub-units recognized under North Carolina law. q) STATE AGENCY: Any of the more than 400 sub-units within the executive branch of the State, including its departments, boards, commissions, institutions of higher education and other institutions. Ver: 10/04/17 Page 12 of 78

14 r) STATE HUMAN RESOURCES ACT ( SHRA ): State law that sets forth the terms and conditions of employment for most State employees except those defined as exempt from the Act (EHRA). s) UNIVERSITY ( UNC ): The University of North Carolina, a State Agency, including its constituent institutions and affiliates. t) VENDOR: Supplier, bidder, proposer, company, firm, corporation, partnership, individual or other entity submitting a response to a Request for Proposal. 3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS 3.1 METHOD OF AWARD All qualified proposals will be evaluated and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the RFP requirements and achieving the Best Value upon final evaluation, based on the best value analysis of each proposal. Best and Final Offers (BAFO). If negotiations or subsequent offers are solicited, the Vendors shall provide BAFOs in response. Failure to deliver a BAFO when requested shall disqualify the non-responsive Vendor from further consideration. The University may establish a competitive range based upon evaluations of offers, and request BAFOs from the Vendors within this range; e.g. Finalist Vendors. The University will evaluate BAFOs and add any additional weight to the Vendors respective offer. Additional weight awarded from oral presentations and product demonstrations during negotiations, if any, will be added to the previously assigned weights to attain their final ranking. The University will evaluate proposals based on the criteria listed in Section 3.4 (Evaluation Criteria) of the RFP. The requirements for these criteria are outlined in Section 4 of this RFP. Further, the Scope of Work for this RFP is outlined, in detail, in Section 5.0. Vendor(s) will be expected to demonstrate their approach to meeting the requirements of UNC for each. UNC will assess whether Vendor(s) approach meets its needs and requirements. While the intent of this RFP is to award a Contract(s) to a single Vendor, the State reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items or to cancel this RFP in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so (a best-of-breed approach.) It is also important to note that, although the intent is to standardize talent management functions across the UNC system and campuses, not all UNC constituent institutions may elect to license and implement the new talent management software. The current direction is to begin with an initial pilot period, which will include a few campuses with a smaller population, and with subsequent rollout to the rest of constituent institutions who decide to adopt the software. The number of participating institutions will not be known until after the pilot. UNC will use the pilot to measure and demonstrate the success, benefits and impact of the adoption of the new talent management software. The status of a Vendor s E-Procurement Services account(s) shall be considered a relevant factor in determining whether to approve the award of a contract under this RFP. Any Vendor with an E-Procurement Services account that is in arrears by 91 days or more at the time of proposal opening may, at the State s discretion, be disqualified from further evaluation or consideration. The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received. 3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION During the evaluation period from the date proposals are opened through the date the contract is awarded each Vendor submitting a proposal (including its representatives, sub-contractors and/or suppliers) is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency, issuing agency, other government agency office, or body (including the purchaser named above, department secretary, agency head, members of the general assembly and/or governor s office), or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor s proposal or qualifications, the contents of another Vendor s proposal, another Vendor s qualifications or ability to perform the contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have Ver: 10/04/17 Page 13 of 78

15 the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals and/or the award of the contract. A Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from contract award, unless it is determined in the State s discretion that the communication was harmless, that it was made without intent to influence and that the best interest of the State would not be served by the disqualification. A Vendor s proposal may be disqualified if its sub-contractor and supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement to the date of contract award). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this RFP or general inquiries directed to the purchaser regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the contract award (after submission) are excepted from this provision. 3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS The State shall review all Vendor responses to this RFP to confirm that they meet the specifications and requirements of the RFP. The State will conduct a One-Step evaluation of Proposals: Proposals will be received from each responsive Vendor in a sealed envelope or package. All proposals must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified on the cover sheet of this RFP. At that date and time, the package containing the proposals from each responding firm will be opened publicly and the name of the Vendor and total cost offered will be announced. Interested parties are cautioned that these costs and their components are subject to further evaluation for completeness and correctness and therefore may not be an exact indicator of a Vendor s pricing position. At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussion with any or all Vendors for the purpose of clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification and often do not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor. Proposals will generally be evaluated according to completeness, content, and experience with similar projects, ability of the Vendor and its staff, and cost. Specific evaluation criteria are listed in 3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA, below. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the State reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the State. Conduent HR Consulting (referred to as Conduent hereafter) has been engaged by UNC to assist in the RFP process. No information gathered from any Vendors will be shared with anyone outside the immediate project team. Conduent is willing to execute a standard confidentiality agreement with any participating bidders to alleviate any concerns about the inappropriate use of proprietary information. Proposals will be evaluated by UNC, with assistance from Conduent, based on the criteria outlined in this RFP. UNC, with assistance from Conduent, will conduct fact finding, discussions/negotiations, request best and final offers and determine which proposal is the most advantageous to UNC for contract award. Proposals will generally be evaluated according to completeness, content, experience with similar projects, ability of the offer or and its staff, and cost. Specific evaluation criteria are listed section 3.4 (EVALUATION CRITERIA). UNC, with assistance from Conduent, will select and notify the finalist Vendors. Only finalists will be invited to participate in the subsequent steps of the RFP process. Finalist Vendors will be required to present regarding their proposal responses at a meeting with the UNC System Office in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The University will notify ONLY finalists of the exact date, location, and agenda for the presentation. Ver: 10/04/17 Page 14 of 78

16 The oral presentations will also include demonstrations of finalist Vendors software capabilities for the purpose of clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Identified deficiencies, technical requirements, terms and conditions of the RFP, costs or prices, and suspected mistakes may be included among the items for discussion. The discussions are intended to give Vendors a reasonable opportunity to resolve deficiencies, uncertainties and suspected mistakes and to make cost, pricing or technical revisions required by the resulting changes. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification and may not do so; therefore, all proposals must be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor. Vendors are cautioned that this is an RFP, not a request to contract, and the State reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the State. The State reserves the right to reject all original offers and request one or more of the Vendors submitting proposals within a competitive range to submit a best and final offer (BAFO), based on discussions and negotiations with the State, if the initial responses to the RFP have been evaluated and determined to be unsatisfactory. The administration of such a phase will be announced to the finalists. Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State will make Award(s) based on the evaluation and post the award(s) to IPS under the RFP number for this solicitation. UNC reserves the right to award the contract to the Vendor(s) whose proposal is most advantageous. Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the State. 3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA All qualified proposals will be evaluated and award made based on considering the following criteria, to result in an award most advantageous to the State: Meeting functional requirements (Sections 4.0 and 5.1 through 5.4) Meeting technical requirements (Sections 4.0 and 5.1 through 5.4) Meeting support requirements (Sections 4.0 and 5.1 and 5.4) Compliance with pricing structure (Attachment C) Total Cost (Attachment C) Vendor Experience (Section 4.7) 3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFP, the State may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the State: Total cost to the State Level of quality provided by the Vendor Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions Protection of the State s information and intellectual property Availability of pertinent skills Ability to understand the State s business requirements and internal operational culture Particular risk factors such as the security of the State s information technology Relations with citizens and employees Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues Ver: 10/04/17 Page 15 of 78

17 3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES This Request for Proposal serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the Department; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement. As such, all terms in the Request for Proposal shall be enforceable as contract terms in accordance with the General Contract Terms and Conditions. The use of phrases such as shall, must, and requirements are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether proposals should be evaluated or rejected, the Department will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the Department s needs as described in the Request for Proposal. Except as specifically stated in the Request for Proposal, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the Department exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety. 4.0 REQUIREMENTS This Section lists the requirements related to this RFP. By submitting a proposal, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements and terms and conditions stated in this RFP. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the State to receive a better proposal, the Vendor is urged and cautioned to submit these items in the form of a question during the question and answer period in accordance with Section 2.5. UNC is committed to working with Talent Management Software providers who will uphold the high standards it sets in providing services to its employees and students. UNC has identified the following critical success factors to achieve its vision. Therefore, RFP responses will be evaluated based upon each Vendor s ability to satisfy the following key criteria: Processes Ability to successfully provide all required services with minimal manual intervention Enable data processing, validation and editing to improve efficiency and eliminate dual entry Compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements Proactive issue identification, monitoring and resolution Speed and flexibility in response to UNC s business needs Ensure confidentiality of participants personal information held by the Vendor Proactive solutions for process improvement Technical Demonstrate a scalable, cloud based technology platform with superior integration capabilities (Although UNC prefers a cloud-based solution, it does not preclude a hosted or on-premise solution from being proposed.) Demonstrate adherence to data privacy and security standards Demonstrate proven implementation approach and methodology for supporting talent management adoption across multiple institutions in a higher learning environment Financial Demonstrate innovative, quality-oriented and cost-effective software and support Cost commensurate with value delivered Offer the ability to license software by functional module to support a best-of-breed approach Offer competitive fees, guarantees and renewal terms Predictable, no-surprise fees for core services Commitment to continual cost reductions through technology enhancements and process improvements Active management of out of scope fees Financial strength and contractual arrangements to support a long-term commitment to service delivery across multiple institutions Ver: 10/04/17 Page 16 of 78

18 Client Satisfaction Proven track record of delivering high quality software and services and maintaining long-term client relationships with a high-level of measurable satisfaction Leading edge processes and delivery methods Active and successful usage of all employee self-service components Provide superior account service to the client and best-in-class customer service for UNC campuses and constituencies Other Additionally, UNC seeks to: Automate Talent Management functions with increased efficiency and effectiveness of processing and operations (e.g., eliminate manual/double entry) Introduce state-of-the-art features of current Talent Management products, including anytime/anywhere realtime access, secure self-service for managers, employees and HR department and inquiry including mobile device access requiring no more than a web browser Improve user experience for both the employees and managers Partner with a Vendor with a strong presence and proven success supporting institutions in Higher Education Utilize pre-defined process workflows and business rules based on Higher Education industry leading practices with the ability to easily modify in order to meet specific organizational and business needs Obtain timely and comprehensive support for Talent Management regulatory and compliance requirements Avoid any offshoring of participant and client-specific data Ver: 10/04/17 Page 17 of 78

19 4.1 IRAN DIVESTMENT ACT As provided in G.S , any person identified as engaging in investment activities in Iran, determined by appearing on the Final Divestment List created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S , is ineligible to contract with the State of North Carolina or any political subdivision of the State. 4.2 CONTRACT TERM The Contract shall have an initial term of three (3) years, beginning on the date of contract award (the Effective Date ). At the end of the Contract s current term, the State shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew the Contract on the same terms and conditions for up to a total of seven (7) additional one-year terms. The State will give the Vendor written notice of its intent whether to exercise each option no later than ninety (90) days before the end of the Contract s then-current term. In addition, the State reserves the right to extend a contract term for a period of up to 180 days in 90- day-or-less increments. 4.3 PRICING Proposal price shall constitute the total cost to Buyer for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges handling, administrative and other similar fees. Vendor shall not invoice for any amounts not specifically allowed for in this RFP. Complete ATTACHMENT C: PRICING FORM and include in Proposal. 4.4 INVOICES a) The Vendor must submit one monthly invoice within fifteen (15) calendar days following the end of each month in which work was performed. b) Invoices must be identified by a unique invoice number. All invoice backup reports and spreadsheets must be provided in electronic format. c) Invoices must bear the correct contract number and purchase order number to ensure prompt payment. The Vendor s failure to include the correct purchase order number may cause delay in payment. d) Invoices must include an accurate description of the work for which the invoice is being submitted, the invoice date, the period of time covered, the amount of fees due to the Vendor and the original signature of the Vendor s project manager. 4.5 PAYMENT TERMS The Vendor will be paid net thirty (30) calendar days after the Vendor s invoice is approved by the State. 4.6 FINANCIAL STABILITY Each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by completing the ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The State is requiring this certification to minimize potential issues from Contracting with a Vendor that is financially unstable. From the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the State within thirty (30) days of any occurrence or condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this Certification. 4.7 VENDOR EXPERIENCE In its Proposal, Vendor shall demonstrate experience with public and/or private sector clients with similar or greater size and complexity to the State of North Carolina. Vendor shall provide information as to the qualifications and experience of all executive, managerial, legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including resumes citing experience with similar projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each person. Each vendor should provide information regarding your company s history, an overview of your current company information and your future strategies and roadmap. Vendor is asked to provide details information regarding client satisfaction as well. Ver: 10/04/17 Page 18 of 78